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Eli Epstein

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Eli Epstein enjoys a multi-faceted career as performer, educator, conductor, andauthor. Epstein was second horn of the Cleveland Orchestra (1987-2005), and horn instructor at the Cleveland Institute of Music (1989-2005). He has appeared several times as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Epstein left Cleveland in 2005, and moved to Boston to devote more time and energy toward educational and creative endeavors. An active chamber musician, he has performed at Jordan Hall, Severance Hall, Tanglewood, Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, the Kennedy Center, Music Academy of the West where he served on faculty (2005-2013) and the Aspen Music Festival where he served as principal horn of the Aspen Chamber Symphony (2000-2012). Epstein is currently on faculty of New England Conservatory andThe Boston Conservatory. His former students hold posts in major orchestras throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Epstein has conducted ensembles at NEC, Cleveland Institute of Music, Music Academy of the West, Longy School of Music, Boston Conservatory, and El Sistema in Venezuela. At New England Conservatory, he is on the college faculty, NEC at Walnut Hill, Brass Chair of the Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education, and conductor of the NEC Youth Brass Ensemble.

Advocating the idea that music can be a meaningful and uplifting force in society, in 2009 Epstein won Grand Prize in the Entrepreneur the Arts Contest for his Inside Out Concerts, and appeared on Heartbeat of America with William Shatner. Drawing on years of experience as a performer, educator and entrepreneur, in 2013 Epstein joined the NEC Entrepreneurial Musicianship faculty to teach their survey course The Entrepreneurial Musician.

Epstein’s book, Horn Playing from the Inside Out, A Method for All Brass Musicians, (second edition published in 2014),wascelebrated in the International Horn Society’s journal as “an overwhelmingly stimulating and productive treatise…that will yield positive influence on legions of horn players—students and professionals alike.”

Orchestral Excerpts for Low Horn, Epstein’s album released in 2014, was acclaimed as “an incredible learning tool [with] exceptional demonstrations of the excerpts” and “an invaluable and exciting addition to every horn player and teacher’s library!”